madgardener wrote:

Jim Elbrecht wrote:

-snip-
My yard was so full of them this spring that I finally got around to
making Dandelion wine for the first time in 25-30 yrs. 1 gallon of
blossoms in a 20x30 side yard.

-snip-
ahhhhhhhhhhh, my grandpap used to make the occasional dandelion
wine....haven't tasted that in over 40 years...................does it
have that bitter taste I recall? and how did you make yours?

No bitterness. This recipe s pretty sweet, actually. It improves
with age- and isn't *really* fit to drink for 4 months, so I've got a
ways to go--- but I've sipped this while working with it and it has
promise. I think it was the same recipe I used way back when and that
was best after a year.

It has so much fruit in it I'm tempted to try another batch without
the dandelions and see if they really contribute anything.

Recipe-
Pour 6 qts boiling water over one gallon of open dandelion blossoms.

Cover the with cheesecloth and let it sit at room temperature for
three days.
Squeeze juice out of the flowers. Throw blossoms away and save the
liquid.

Put the liquid into a big pot and add:
3 lbs. sugar [6 cups]
4 sliced lemons. [including skin and seeds
4 sliced oranges

Boil mixture for 30 minutes with top on pot, cool to lukewarm, pour
into crock and add 2 packages yeast.

Cover with cheesecloth and let sit for two or three weeks
[wait until bubbling stops- lots of variables]

Filter through cheesecloth & bottle with loose tops. Rack off into
fresh bottles and seal after 4 months or when it clears.

Jim
[the Dandelion got me bit with the wine bug- so I did a couple gallons
of Red Currant, too. That one takes 2 yrs until I drink it- but it
is sure pretty now.]